Edinburgh highlights ... (Clockwise from top left) A Mighty Heart, Two Days in Paris, Hallam Foe, Death Proof.
It's a considerable psychological leap - as well as a logistical one - to shift the dates of the Edinburgh film festival. EIFF started in 1947, alongside the Edinburgh international festival, with the specific intention of asserting the status of cinema as a significant component in the global arts scene. International film festivals were a new concept; Cannes and Venice were in their infancy too.
But things have shifted considerably since then. Film festivals have flourished, as both industry and public events; and cinema has more than established itself as a legitimate art form and academic field of study as well as a commercial entertainment medium. Meanwhile, further festivals have blossomed in August in Edinburgh, including a book festival that is the undisputed leader in its field and a Fringe of epic proportions and endless variation.
In this changing climate, the film festival recognised the need to evolve. Edinburgh currently piles most of its highest-profile cultural activity up in August, which makes for an extraordinary atmosphere, but does limit the film festival's visibility as a specific cinema event with international significance to industry and audiences.
The shift to June is intended to open it up to new audiences who are otherwise faced with a dizzying choice of clashing activities in August. It will also provide greater space for the kind of events (conferences, meetings, international delegations, etc) that will build up our significance within the industry and that simply cannot be accommodated in August. The move will also shift us away from those major film events (Venice, Toronto, London) which all cram into the autumn schedule.
Moving to June will change our programming process and the tone of our event. Exactly how this will work remains to be seen; with all the research and planning in the world, a change like this still involves an element of risk. But rather than endlessly debate our place in August and the relative positioning of other events, we've opted to do something. And we're very excited about that.
~ Hannah McGill is artistic director of the Edinburgh film festival.
